


Christmas Parades and snowfights

by Echo_star



Series: 12 days of X-mas oneshots; Underground Edition [8]
Category: The Gifted (TV 2017)
Genre: F/M, Snow Fight
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-12-19
Updated: 2017-12-19
Packaged: 2019-02-16 20:35:59
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,062
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13061676
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Echo_star/pseuds/Echo_star
Summary: Clarice wishes she didn’t look so different so she can see the Christmas parade but John wouldn’t change anything about her.





	Christmas Parades and snowfights

Clarice twirled slowly, snow falling around her. It was so damn cold and the snow under her feet was all kinds of sludgy but it didn’t matter. It was snow. The wonderful white stuff she’s seen in movies but had never actually felt before. 

She slowly spun again, avoiding going back inside. They weren’t here for recreation, not for the snow or for the Christmas parade she could hear a few streets down. It was strictly a information gathering trip to locate other sectors of the unofficial underground, and offer them help. 

She looked up, watching the snow fall as the cold flakes hit her cheeks, her nose. The cheers from the pageant echoing in the quiet streets. If she closed her eyes she could almost see the floats decked out with decorations, hear the carols and feel the excitement as everyone cheers for the procession. 

She doesn’t hear John, startles slightly as he speaks.  
"We have a job to do you know” he chides softly from where he’s standing in the doorway.

She looks at him, refusing to let her joy fade. In this moment she’s just a girl standing in the snow, with nothing to do until tomorrow.    
“Isn’t this magical?”

He smirks as he scuffs his feet in the sludge by the door “This wet stuff? You have an interesting idea of magic.” 

"Don't be like that" Clarice chides holding her hand out to him, and he strides towards her like she knew he would. 

He wraps his arms around her, and she turns in his arms so she can lean against his body, her head laying lightly on his chest. 

"Christmas time is always magical, everything about it is magical. The snow, the food, the way it brings out the best in people." Clarice sighs closing her eyes and holding his arms where they are wrapped around her. Clarice snuggles further into his chest. 

"During Christmas, when I was a kid, I used to wish that Santa Claus would make me normal" she confesses in the safety of his embrace. Clarice feels John's grip on her tighten almost imperceptibly, she knows her words bothered him but he lets her continue. "I wished that I could play with the other kids and partake in the holiday festivities. The schools in the area would put on a Christmas pageant and have a parade through the town with floats made by the high schoolers. Carl and Denise never let us go to watch, they though it was too dangerous. My siblings and I, we just wanted to be normal kids, so we could have regular childhood experiences."

Clarice looks up as John's hands move from her waist to her shoulders and gently guide her to face him. Johns face is pinched at her declaration. “Even if I could, there’s nothing I would change about you. Not one thing. If seeing the parade is so important for you, I will find us a spot to watch it from.” 

Clarice smiles up at him, thankful that he cares enough about her to try to fulfil her wants. 

"It's not, I'm not a nine year old girl anymore. I have infinitely more important things to do than watch a parade." John looks at her dubiously. "I'm serious, it was a child's dream. I am a grown ass woman, I don't dream about watching parades." 

"It doesn't mean you don't long to see one." He responds wisely. 

"How about we watch the parade when we win?" She bargains. 

"It's a date." John agrees, pressing a kiss to her forehead. 

They stand there, enjoying their infinity in this moment and Clarice watches the snow fall around them. She ducks her head to hide the cheeky grin as a thought occurs to her.   

“Are you ready to go back in?” She asks innocently, putting some space betweeen them. 

“If you want. Are you sure you don’t want me to find a way to see the parade?” He replies, brow furrowed. 

“Nah, it’s okay." Clarice responds, a sliver of guilt tugging her her mind though not enough to derail her plan. 

Clarice nudges him, letting him know that he can go back inside. As soon as his back is turned, she reaches down quickly trying to sculpt the sludgy stuff into a snowball like they do in the movies. It’s rough but it’s acceptable so she quickly throws it. John's heightened senses enable him to dodge the oncoming projectile without looking. He turns around perturbed and looks from her to her wet hands to the disturbed snow and frowns at her. 

"Why did you do that?" He asks mock seriously. 

"No reason," she shrugs. 

"You don't want to start something you can't finish” John remarks eyes narrowing. Clarice grins in reply and falls to her knees grabbing a handful of snow to form into a ball. She squeals as a snowball explodes against her left ear. Glancing up to glare accusatorially at John to find him nowhere in sight. 

She hears the whistle of the ball narrowly flying past  head and spins around, just barely seeing John duck behind a tree. Grinning Clarice throws her snowball in the air and opens a portal for it to fall through. The exit opening directly above John's head, making him shout in surprise. 

He jumps out from behind his hiding spot and tackles her into the slushy, muddy snow. She's laughing as he pins her and grabs a handful from the ground next to her and slams it in his face. 

John grins down at her, tainted water dripping from his face, and tickles her. Clarice thrashes against him and the ground screaming with laughter, all thoughts of stealth thrown out the window. 

"I yield!" She cries out between peals of laughter. "Uncle!" John pulls back and stops his fiendish tickle assault, a smug grin fixed on his face. 

"Don't start something you can't finish." He repeats his earlier warning. Clarice sticks out her tongue in reply. John pulls back standing up and offers her his hand. She looks at it then rolls over and stands on her own. He, unsuccessfully, tries not to roll his eyes at her childish antics. John envelops her hand in his, for the few precious seconds of non-responsibility that they have left, as they walk back towards their safe house; their allies, war, and reality. 


End file.
